Thursday 15 April 1669

Up, and to the office, and thence before the office sat to the Excise Office with W. Hewer, but found some occasion to go another way to the Temple upon business, and I by Deb.’s direction did know whither in Jewen Street to direct my hackney coachman, while I staid in the coach in Aldgate Street, to go thither just to enquire whether Mrs. Hunt, her aunt, was in town, who brought me word she was not; thought this was as much as I could do at once, and therefore went away troubled through that I could do no more but to the office I must go and did, and there all the morning, but coming thither I find Bagwell’s wife, who did give me a little note into my hand, wherein I find her para invite me para meet her in Moorfields this noon, where I might speak with her, and so after the office was up, my wife being gone before by invitation to my cozen Turner’s to dine, I to the place, and there, after walking up and down by the windmills, I did find her and talk with her, but it being holiday and the place full of people, we parted, leaving further discourse and doing to another time. Thence I away, and through Jewen Street, my mind, God knows, running that way, but stopped not, but going down Holborne hill, by the Conduit, I did see Deb. on foot going up the hill. I saw her, and she me, but she made no stop, but seemed unwilling to speak to me; so I away on, but then stopped and ‘light, and after her and overtook her at the end of Hosier lane in Smithfield, and without standing in the street desired her to follow me, and I led her into a little blind alehouse within the walls, and there she and I alone fell to talk and baiser la and toker su mammailles, but she mighty coy, and I hope modest … I did give her in a paper 20s., and we did agree para meet again in the Hall at Westminster on Monday next; and so giving me great hopes by her carriage that she continues modest and honest, we did there part, she going home and I to Mrs. Turner’s, but when I come back to the place where I left my coach it was gone, I having staid too long, which did trouble me to abuse the poor fellow, so that taking another coach I did direct him to find out the fellow and send him to me. At my cozen Turner’s I find they are gone all to dinner to Povy’s, and thither I, and there they were all, and W. Batelier and his sister, and had dined; but I had good things brought me, and then all up and down the house, and mightily pleased to see the fine rooms: but, the truth is, there are so many bad pictures, that to me make the good ones lose much of the pleasure in seeing them. The. and Betty Turner in new flowered tabby gowns, and so we were pretty merry, only my fear upon me for what I had newly done, do keep my content in. So, about five or six o’clock, away, and I took my wife and the two Bateliers, and carried them homeward, and W. Batelier ‘lighting, I carried the women round by Islington, and so down Bishopsgate Streethome, and there to talk and sup, and then to bed.

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"but she mighty coy, and I hope modest ; but however, though with great force, did hazer ella par su hand para tocar mi thing, nut ella was in great pain para be brought para it. I did give her in a paper 20s.,.... "

The Royal Society today at Arundel House — from the Hooke Folio Online

April. 15. 1669. The curator again produced the Expt. of the Watch moued by a magnet which according to its seuerall Distances from the flight fitted to the Watch made it Goe faster or Slower: - Sr. Rob. Moray suggested seuerall doubts to be in this Expt. first whether the Loadstone hath the same attraction in all postures. 2. whether some kind of Earth or Rock may not alter the power of attraction. Alledging that in Scotland there was a whole ridge of Rocky mountaines of a magneticall virtue &c. 3ly. whether there would not be found a Difference in the attraction, according to a neerer or farther Distance of the Loadstone from the Land The President suggested that it might be tryed, whether a watch thus moued by a magnet would goe aequally with a stronger or weaker Spring to try which his Lop. Proposed that the watch & Loadstone being fixt, the Spring of the watch should be wound vp more or Lesse high, to see whether the motion Caused by the magnet would be always aequall. -- It was orderd that a peice of clockwork with a Spring should be prouided for the next Day, to be tryd with a Loadstone. --

Hard to be sure but seems as if poor Deb is terribly confused about her feelings toward Sam...It's probably the first love affair of her life and she's fond of Sam who no doubt is very charming and impressive. But she seems to be determined to put him out of her life and it's only he and chance that is bringing him back. Sam for his part is a comic tragedy...I love that he gives her money while counseling her to never do what he's done to her with another man. Gee, what lesson can she learn here?

With Sam on the brink of another nail-biting episode, may I get my thanks in early before it all, sadly, ends? In particular:First, of course, to Phil Gyford for devising and maintaining the website. You must have made thousands of friends around the world, Phil, and you deserve them all.Terry Foreman for his wealth of additional information and insightful comments.Robert Gertz for his flights of fancy which may have irritated the occasional humourless pedant but which kept the rest of us, in one of Sam's favourite expressions, very merry.And, of course, Sam - we will miss you.

TF - re tanned moor's skin. Quite horrid. Unfortunately, up until the early 20th century, anthropologists were treating Aboriginal remains in the same way - as objects of scientific curiosity - not as human remains to be accorded respect. And Sam had been shown a preserved Afro-American not so long ago. Same lack of respect. It's OK to do things like this as these are sub-humans. At least many of the remains being held in museums around the world of Aboriginal people are being returned and buried with dignity.

"Hard to be sure but seems as if poor Deb is terribly confused about her feelings toward Sam…It’s probably the first love affair of her life and she’s fond of Sam"

Huh? I'm not getting that impression at all. My sense is that she's trying her level best to get rid of him and is upset that he's stalking her. Her reactions are entirely consistent with those of women who find themselves in that horrible position today, except that (of course) she can't go to the police and get a restraining order.

"Robert Gertz for his flights of fancy which may have irritated the occasional humourless pedant but which kept the rest of us, in one of Sam’s favourite expressions, very merry."

I resent being called a humourless pedant, and I don't see the need to insult many of your fellow Pepysians in the course of singling out two of them for thanks.

I feel so sorry for Deb. I imagine she lives hoping never to see Sam again, and cringes and despairs every time she does.

I can't help but think that Sam and Elizabeth would have been much happier in a time and culture where they could have been polyamorous. At least Sam would have been (and I like to think Elizabeth, too, but have little evidence for that). Sam loves his wife so much but is clearly incapable of fidelity.